Guides
The math behind keeping the lights on.
Every guide uses the same sourced data and formulas as our tools, and shows its working.
Will it run?
Will a Power Station Run a Refrigerator? Runtime by Size (2026)
Yes, if it can start the compressor. Real runtimes for 1 to 5 kWh stations, why the start-up surge matters more than capacity, and how long food stays safe.
Updated October 27, 2026Sump Pump Battery Backup: Will a Power Station Run It?
How much battery a 1/3 or 1/2 HP sump pump needs through a storm, why starting watts decide it, and when a dedicated backup pump is the better buy.
Updated October 27, 2026Well Pump Backup Power: 240 V, Surge and How Much Battery
Most well pumps run on 240 V and kick hard at start-up. Which power stations and home batteries can run one, and how many days of water you get.
Updated October 27, 2026CPAP Battery Backup for Power Outages: Nights per Battery
How many nights a power station runs a CPAP with and without the heated humidifier, with the honest caveats on medical equipment.
Updated October 27, 2026Will a Power Station Run a Space Heater? (Mostly, Not for Long)
A 1,500 W space heater drains a 1 kWh station in about 35 minutes. What actually keeps a house warm in a winter outage, and what it costs in battery.
Updated October 27, 2026Gas Furnace Battery Backup: Keep the Heat On in a Winter Outage
A gas furnace needs electricity for its blower and controls. How much battery keeps it running through a freezing night, and how to connect it safely.
Updated October 27, 2026
Home batteries
How Long Will a Powerwall 3 Last in an Outage? Real Load Profiles
13.5 kWh goes a long way on essentials and very fast on central AC. Hours of backup for five typical homes, and what 11.5 kW and 185 LRA really mean.
Updated October 27, 2026Home Battery Cost in 2026 (After the 30% Tax Credit Ended)
The federal 25D credit ended for systems placed in service after 2025. What a Powerwall, Enphase or FranklinWH system costs now, and who still pays rebates.
Updated October 27, 2026How Many Batteries Do You Need to Power a House in an Outage?
Count energy and power separately. The right formula (and the common one that double-counts), worked through for an average 28 kWh-a-day US home.
Updated October 27, 2026
EV backup
Using Your EV as Home Backup: Every US Option in 2026
Cybertruck Powershare, F-150 Lightning, Kia EV9 and GM: what each powers, the hardware it needs, what it costs and how many days of backup it holds.
Updated October 27, 2026Cybertruck Powershare Home Backup: Requirements, Cost, Runtime
What Powershare needs (Gateway, Universal Wall Connector, a certified installer), what 11.5 kW runs, and how many days a Cybertruck keeps a house going.
Updated October 27, 2026
Outage plans
Transfer Switch for a Power Station: Your Options and Why It Matters
The safe ways to connect a power station to your house wiring (and the deadly one), from extension cords to transfer switches, interlocks and smart panels.
Updated October 27, 2026Winter Storm Power Outage Plan: Heat, Water and Battery Math
What to keep running when a winter storm takes the grid down for days: furnace blower, well pump, fridge and phones, with the battery size each needs.
Updated October 27, 2026Hurricane Backup Power Plan: Sizing for a Week Without Grid
After a major hurricane, power can stay off for a week or more. How to size batteries and solar for that, and what 2024 outage data says about your state.
Updated October 27, 2026Power Station for Starlink During an Outage: Runtime by Dish
When cable and fiber go down with the grid, Starlink keeps working on battery. How long a power station runs a Standard dish or a Mini.
Updated October 27, 2026How to Keep Internet On During a Power Outage (2026)
Your modem uses about 10 W, but the network outside may go down too. Runtimes on battery, and when a 5G backup router or Starlink is the real fix.
Updated October 28, 2026